The boys were practically tapping their heads on the fire like chicks pecking at rice when Old Lady Li finally managed to pull out a few dark sweet potatoes from under the campfire.
Each person received one, and the rest were to be given to their parents.
Soon, everyone in the Li family, young and old, was enjoying the sweet roasted sweet potatoes.
Wu Cuihua craned her neck to watch Tao Hongying eat eggs, pouting and complaining.
"They treat a little girl like a treasure."
Li Lao Er glared at her, shifted his position, and ignored her.
Li Laosan and his wife, on the other hand, were together, both with smiles on their faces.
"Mother is right, the little girl is really lucky. She's only been born for less than a day, and the family has already received so many good things. We never even dared to dream of such a thing."
"Yes, Mother's smile is so wide it almost reaches her ears. These past two years have been tough; her hair has turned almost completely white."
On the other side, Grandma Li had already taken her eldest grandson, Jiaren, who was already educated, to name her granddaughter. Her nickname was Fu Niu'er.
But the formal name was a problem, and in the end, Jiaren made a suggestion.
"Grandma, it's a great joy that our Li family has only had one daughter in three generations."
How about we name our little sister Jiayin? It means good news and a beautiful voice.
Good news?
Grandma Li smacked her lips twice, finding the name easy to pronounce and with a good meaning.
Will every time we shout this from now on bring good news?
"Okay, let's call it Joyful Sound!"
Li Jiayin was gently patted by her grandmother, smelling the sweet aroma of roasted sweet potatoes in the air, her mouth watering, and she felt drowsy.
Half-asleep, I heard my family calling out Jiayin's name again and again, the same name as in my past life, and I couldn't help but smile.
Perhaps that's why she traveled through time...
Nothing more was said that night, and the Li family set off again early the next morning.
They worked without rest for a whole day, measuring fifty miles step by step, until their scalps were numb from the sun.
Seeing her granddaughter's face turn red, Grandma Li couldn't bear to part with her and called to everyone.
"Let's find a place to rest, and then cut up the sweet potatoes and cook them into sorghum porridge."
Before anyone could respond, a commotion suddenly broke out ahead. Li Lao Er ran to inquire and returned waving vigorously.
"Mother, hurry! We've spotted a stream ahead!"
Upon hearing that there was water, everyone was energized and ran forward as fast as they could.
Soon, the river came into view. The water was shallow, but enough for everyone to wash and cook.
Li Laosi felt sorry for his wife and mother, so he carried his daughter to the river to fetch water.
Jia'an and Jiaxi, those two rascals, also dug sand and surrounded it with stones to block the water, intending to drink from the milk goat.
Li Jiayin had slept for most of the day and was sore all over. Just when she was eager to show off her skills, her opportunity arrived.
While Li Laosi was bending down to fetch water, she burst into tears.
Li Laosi hurriedly put down his daughter to check on her, and Jia'an and Jiaxi also ran over to ask.
"Did your little sister pee?"
But Jiayin only cried twice before Li Laosi was about to fetch water back.
The sudden appearance of two grass carp in the bucket startled him, causing him to gasp in surprise.
Each grass carp was over a foot long and weighed three or four pounds, wagging its tail lively as if complaining that the wooden bucket was too small...
Before he could speak, Jia'an and Jiaxi had already cheered.
"We've caught fish! Crucian carp, lots of crucian carp!"
People were also drawing water nearby. When they heard the noise, they looked over, and some even jumped into the river, intending to catch fish.
Jia'an and Jiaxi shrank their necks, quickly took off their clothes, scooped in a dozen or so palm-sized crucian carp, and ran back.
Li Laosi, leading a sheep in one hand and carrying a fish in the other, quickly followed.
"Oh my, where did these fish come from! This grass carp is huge, and there are quite a few crucian carp too!"
The Li family members crowded around, overjoyed.
Li Laosi tugged at his mother, and Li Laotai quickly instructed her second and third daughters-in-law to kill the fish and start cooking.
It's hot, so it won't last long and I'll have to eat it all at once.
Once it was quiet around him, Li Laosi spoke softly.
"Mom, this is really strange. Fu Niu cried, and I only comforted her for a few moments, and now the fish are in the bucket. Jia An and the others have only filled half a bucket with water in their little puddle, and now there are more than a dozen crucian carp..."
Old Mrs. Li glared at her son and scolded him.
"Look at you making such a fuss. I already told you, our Fu Niu'er is so lucky. All these things are food sent to Fu Niu'er by God, and we're just benefiting from it."
Li Laosi scratched the back of his head. He had actually felt that his mother was acting a bit strange last night.
Looking at his family now, they only showed joy, not surprise, as if only he, their own father, didn't believe his daughter was so lucky.
Li Jiayin blew bubbles and smiled "toothlessly," then tried to smear her father's saliva all over his back.
I'll make you believe in my abilities!
Grandma Li took her granddaughter in her arms and called out to her daughters-in-law.
"Don't stew the fish yet, quickly heat up the goat milk and feed Fu Niu'er first, she's our precious little darling!"
Tao Hongying struggled to stand up in the shade of the tree, took her daughter, and smiled broadly.
With crucian carp soup and eggs, her daughter will definitely be able to enjoy her mother's delicious food!
Listening to her family members chattering happily, Li Jiayin proudly twisted her neck, which made Tao Hongying think she needed to poop, so she quickly opened the package to check.
Li Jiayin exposed his buttocks once on each side, and then simply peed.
The empty space in my stomach was quickly filled with goat milk.
Just as Li Jiayin was dozing off, Li Laosan quickly built a simple earthen stove and placed a ceramic pot on it.
One dish is stewed grass carp and cabbage, and the other is fried crucian carp stewed in soup.
We didn't bring much vegetable oil from home, but we did have a jar of soybean paste.
Scoop a spoonful into water and dissolve it, then add the grass carp cut into sections, bring it to a boil, and then add the chopped cabbage. Soon, the aroma will fill the air.
For crucian carp the size of a palm, you must use vegetable oil. Put a few drops at the bottom of the earthenware pot, fry the crucian carp until golden brown on both sides, then pour in hot water, and you'll see the soup turn milky white.
The aroma spread far and wide, and while the other refugees along the way were fine with it, the children couldn't resist and flocked around it.
Jia'an and Jiaxi, ignoring the drool dripping from their mouths by the pot, stood in front of the pot with stern faces, occasionally scolding them.
Finally, both pots of fish were ready, and the Li family, not caring that they were still hot, quickly ate them.
Tao Hongying also mustered all her energy and gulped down the fish soup.
Li Jiayin lay in her mother's arms, smelling the fragrance, and couldn't help but lick her tongue, drool dripping from the corner of her mouth down her neck.
Tao Hongying couldn't help but laugh when she saw this.
Whether it was her love for her daughter that worked, or the fish soup that was truly effective, she finally felt something.
So she quickly stuffed the "grain bag" into her daughter's mouth, and surprisingly, there was indeed a lot of water in it.
Li Jiayin's mouth was gagged, and a string of black crows flew past his forehead.
As an adult, she simply couldn't accept it, and besides, breast milk didn't smell like goat's milk.
But seeing her mother's eyes already reddening with emotion, she steeled herself and began to suckle deeply.
"Mommy, I have milk now! Waaah, Fu Niu'er can eat her fill!"
The Li family all looked over, overjoyed. "This fish soup is so delicious!"
To avoid suspicion, Li Lao Er and Li Lao San only glanced at each other before turning back.
The dozen or so children who had been watching with longing took advantage of the moment to rush over and snatch the remaining fish soup and a few pieces of fish from the pot.
"Ah, they stole my fish!"
Jiaxi and Jia'an shouted angrily and were about to chase after them to demand their money back, but were stopped by Old Lady Li.
"Come back, all of you!" she said, tapping her pipe.
"They're all pitiful people, let it go. Wash the pots and pans, tidy up the things, keep an eye on the food and belongings at home, it will get harder and harder as we go on."
Li Jiayin had just spat out the bag of grain when her mother hugged her and patted her back to help her burp. She saw all of this and grew to love the Li family even more.
Grandma Li turned her head and saw her granddaughter smiling and drooling at her. She quickly got up, took the granddaughter, and coaxed her with affection.
After eating and drinking her fill, Li Jiayin could no longer resist the drowsiness and fell asleep again.
But just as she was enjoying her sweet dream, it seemed as if someone was crying and shouting, waking her up.
She was still lying in Tao Hongying's arms, but she felt a little hot from the stuffiness.
The night has now passed, and it is dawn.
In the dawn light, not far away, a carriage was surrounded by a large crowd, and a burly man was pulling several children and throwing them onto the carriage.
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